Grease pump

ABSTRACT

A dispenser for grease or the like operated by a plunger, is equipped with a solenoid and means between the solenoid armature and the plunger which increases the plunger&#39;&#39;s speed and momentum and the grease is dispensed under high pressure.

United States Patent [191 Foerst et al.

GREASE PUMP Inventors: Albert K. Foerst, 2195 Kemery Rd.,

Akron, Ohio 44313; Joseph Naymik, 20417 Gladstone Rd., Warrensville Heights, Ohio 44122 Filed: Oct. 6, 1972 Appl. No.: 295,444

US. Cl 222/262, 222/263, 222/333,

74/110 Int. Cl. GOlf 11/04 Field of Search 222/263, 333, 262; 74/110 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1968 Cox et al. 222/333 X Apr. 30, 1974 Reiter 222/333 X Scovell Dolly -Blo0m 222/1 13 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-John P. Shannon ABSTRACT I A dispenser for grease or the like operated by a plunger, is equipped with a solenoid and means between the solenoid armature and the plunger which increases the plungers speed and momentum and the grease is dispensed under high pressure.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures GREASE PUMP This invention relates to a dispenser for viscous liquids such as grease, for example. It is designed as a tool for use by the person who wishes to lubricate his own automobile as well as for use by the service-station mechanic and machinists generally. It is designed especially as an electrically-powered, portable tool which can be held in one hand as it is operated. It is operated by a solenoid and the grease is impelled from the dispenser by a jet action produced by increasing the speed and momentum of the armature of the solenoid as conveyed to the follower plunger which expels the grease from the dispenser. Thus the discharge pressure is increased to at least 200 psi.

The use of a solenoid to operate a grease dispenser is not new. Among the patents which have issued are Perrin U.S. Pat. No. 1,881,963, Petrenchak U.S. Pat. No. 2,694,508, Molin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,243,013 and Sanders et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,742. In all of these the solenoid armature is connected directly with the plunger which forces the grease or the like from a storage reservoir.

In the dispenser of this invention, the armature of the solenoid is not connected directly to the plunger, but is connected through a system of levers or other means which multiplies the speed and momentum imparted to the follower plunger by the armature movement, so

that by uniform and positive'displacement the grease is expelled from the delivery tube with jet-like force.

A satisfactory arrangement is shown in the drawings, in which 1 FIG. 1 is a view of one side of the pump, partly broken away;

FIG. 2 is a view of another side of the pump;

FIG. 3 is a view of the end of the grease barrel on the line 33 of FIG. 1, partly broken away;

FIG. 4 is a detail of the grease barrel; and

FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram.

In the drawing the reservoir 1 serves as storage for the grease or the like, and is representative of any such suitable reservoir.

It is connected to a passage 2 in the barrel by the opening 3. Opening 4 connects the passage 2 to any suitable outlet device which may be a rigid tube 5, as shown, or a hose, etc. When the plunger 6 is moved down, grease or the like which has collected in passage 2 is forced out of the pump through tube 5 under high pressure with a jet action as the end 7 of the plunger blocks the opening 3. As the movement of the plunger is reversed the passage 2 is filled with grease or the like due to the action of the tightly fitting gasketed disc 8 pressed continually to the left by spring 9. Check valve 10 in the entrance to tube 5 prevents grease from being sucked back out of the tube 5 as the plunger is retracted. There is nothing unique about such equipment, and various modifications of the equipment shown are available on the market.

The solenoid 12 is actuated by pushing the button 15 which closes the trigger switch 16 in the current supply line 17. There is an indicator light 18 and fuse 19. By squeezing the button 15 as the handle 20 is grasped, current is supplied to the solenoid coil 21 energizing the coil to build a magnetic field, attracting armature 24 of the solenoid to move up, as shown in FIG. 1.

A dispenser for grease or the like, designed as disclosed herein and intended for manual use may be operated by a minimum size solenoid of the push-and-pull type or the highest push-and-pull type. Its pressure may be rated at as low as 5 ounces or less to the maximum commercially available. It may be operated by direct current or alternating current. The plunger follower 25 is advantageously weighted from about 2 ounces to /2 or 4 pound or more so that the plunger exerts the desired high pressure of 200 psi or more in expelling grease from the dispenser.

The action of the solenoid is transmitted to the plunger 6 by a series of levers, namely, levers 27 the end of each of which are swivelly connected at their ends to the armature 24 and link 28; which lever 28 is swivelly connected at its ends to the plunger 6, or preferably to a plunger follower 25, as shown, and one end of the lever 29; which lever 29 is swivelly connected at its other end to the stationary post 30 on the housing 32 of the solenoid. After the solenoid is de-energized,

the compression spring 33 returns the plunger to its original position and the armature 24 returns to its fullline position.

Insert 35 in the passage 2 is used to accommodate a plunger of smaller or larger diameter through a length equal to the distance occupied by the plunger as it is reciprocated in passage 2.

The reservoir 1 must be refilled with grease from time to time. Refilling may cause air to be trapped in the top of the reservoir, or in the passage 2. By removing the nut 37 from vent opening 38, and operating the solenoid repeatedly, all air is vented, and the nut 37 is then replaced This vent opening may beat any location between the end of thepassage 2 and the end of the plunger 6 in its retracted position, shown in full lines in FIG. 1. An air vent in this location in any manually held and internally operated dispenser for grease or the like is believed to be new.

The spring-biased button 39 in the top-of one end of the barrel (FIG. 3), is forced out by pressureof the reservoir disc 8 against it, when the reservoir is empty, and returned by spring 40 to the full-line position shown in FIG. 3, when the reservoir is refilled. A switch (not shown) may replace the button mechanism, and light bulb 43 (which may be a yellow light) conveniently located on the handle electrically connected with the switch 39, will signal when the reservoir is empty. The switch and bulb 43 are advantageously connected into the circuit which operates the solenoid. Signal means for this purpose on any manually held and internally operated dispenser for grease or the like is believed to be new. i

A light source 50 directed away from the handle and operable from switch 51 is useful for lighting the area which includes the part to be greased. This light may be swivelly mounted to, facilitate concentrating its illumination on a desired area. Such a light on any manually held and internally operated dispenser for grease or the like is believed to be new.

The bulbs 43 and 50 are advantageously connected into the circuit which operates the solenoid.

TI-IE OPERATION OF THE DISPENSER Grease is put into the reservoir 1, and entrapped air is vented by removing the nut 37 and operating the solenoid several times. The nut 37 is then replaced.

The outlet 5 is fitted to the part to be greased. The button 15 is then depressed one or more times to eject the desired amount of grease from the pump outlet 5.

Each time the button depressed, the armature moves. to the left to its dotted-line position. This pulls the lever 28 to the left and the plunger is moved to the left until.

the end of the plunger reaches the position indicated by a dotted line. This movement of the plunger closes the opening 3 and forces grease through the check valve 10, out through the outlet 5, at which time the solenoid is de-energized by releasing pressure on button 15. Then the spring 33 returns the plunger 6 to its original position, uncovering the opening 3 as the check valve closes, and grease is again forced into the barrel by the disc 8.

In the drawing, the armature and plunger move substantially parallel to one another and the armature in moving, moves the plunger in an increased ratio. The speed of the plunger is thus increased, and the speed of the grease as it is ejected from the pump is increased accordingly. v

The force and speed of the plunger can be changed by changing the distance between the junction of the lever 28 to the lever 27 and its junction to the plunger, or by using a different leverage or other connection between the solenoid and the plunger. Also, solenoids of different capacity may be used; one operative on a lOO- volt A.C. circuit is preferred. We claim: a 1. In a dispenser for dispersing a viscous fluid which comprises a'reservoir for the fluid provided with an outlet and means exerting constant pressure on the fluid in the reservoir toward said outlet, a delivery tube with a passage connecting the outlet of the reservoir with the delivery tube and a plunger fitting tightly in the passage, the improvement which comprises a solenoid with an armature operated thereby, and a lever fastened to the armature to move therewith, the lever being fastened at one end to the plunger and at the other end to the first end of an arm the second end of which is hingedly supported by the solenoid whereby thefirst end is movable toward and away from the plunger.

2 .-1The combination of claim 1 in which the lever is weighted at the junction of the plunger.

3. In the combination of claim 1 in which there is a check valve at the entrance of the-delivery tube from the passage and an air vent in said passage which is farther from the reservoir outlet than the delivery tube.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,807,606 Dated April 30 19'Z4 Inventor(g) Albert K. Foerst et a1 It is cer-tified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column l, line 27, "multiplies" should read increases Column 2, line 8, "high pressure" should read higher momentum Column 3, line 24, "100" should read 110 Signed and sealed this 24th day of September 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. 0. MARS HALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-1050(10-69) u5coMM Dc 6o376 p69 a 0.5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: was o-ass-au. 

1. In a dispenser for dispersing a viscous fluid which comprises a reservoir for the fluid provided with an outlet and means exerting constant pressure on the fluid in the reservoir toward said outlet, a delivery tube with a passage connecting the outlet of the reservoir with the delivery tube and a plunger fitting tightly in the passage, the improvement which comprises a solenoid with an armature operated thereby, and a lever fastened to the armature to move therewith, the lever being fastened at one end to the plunger and at the other end to the first end of an arm the second end of which is hingedly supported by the solenoid whereby the first end is movable toward and away from the plunger.
 2. The combination of claim 1 in which the lever is weighted at the junction of the plunger.
 3. In the combination of claim 1 in which there is a check valve at the entrance of the delivery tube from the passage and an air vent in said passage which is farther from the reservoir outlet than the delivery tube. 